The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-26
Knox County Lime.

Very few are aware of the magnitude OF
the lime business in Knox county. From
June lst to October oath, 1885, there was
produced S21, ,637 casks Of lime, during the
Same months in 1886 it Appropriated a mil
lion casks. Thomaston produces of this
more than 10000 casks, Rockland about
GOO, 900. Camden and Rockport about 10000.
The lime manufacturers in Thomaston are
j. o. Cushing Il Co.. Burgess. O'Brien x
Co. and j. A. Creighton Il Co.
Messrs. j. o. Gushing & Co., produce from
three patent kilns 22O0 barrels per week, one
of the kilns being on Central Wharf, the
others on the spot where Gen. Knox CON-
meneed lime burning almost 100 years ago.
Mr.. Gushing has been in the lime business 80
years. Atwood Levensaler, the active part
ner, succeeded his father and grandfather In
the business and their record dates back more
than 100 years. The brand Of lime is fayora-
bly, known alllOver the country.
Messrs. Burgess, O'Brien Il Co., are the
next largest purchasers of lime and have
several patent kilns. Hon. Edward T..
O'Brien Of this firm, is the largest individual
ship owner In the United States.
Messrs. Francis Cobb Il Co., of Rockland,
are the largest manufacturers Of lime in this
country. They manufactured last year near
ly 100000 casks of lime, the quality OF which
Is not surpassed anywhere. One third of this
they shipped by rail TO the interior towns OF
New England, and two-thirds by. water In
their own vessels to New York, Boston,
Sound ports, Jacksonville, Norfolk and Rich
mond. There are IS lime kilns in Rockland
Francis Cobb x Co., own and operate IL Of
these, req quiring the services OF 200 men and
100 horses mot including in this their sailors
or men who cut wood. They ship most al
of their wood from the Provinces and have
used the past year 10000 cords. This con
eern were among the earliest lime producer:
in their section, and the good qualities OF tht
same has given it reputation all over the
country second to none. Their facilities FOL
manufacturing enable them to fill all order:
they receive, whether it is fora ear load, car
90 for a vessel, or any amount required. The
production as stated here $4,000 barrel:
yearly, is reckoned as that Of 10 kilns only
running all the year. Should the demand re
quire the lime Of their II kilns, they could
produce in the same ratio $4,000 barrels OF
1871 barrels per day.
The LIMERICK railroad at Roekport, from
| the quarries to the kilns at tide water, wa'
built this season at cost Of from $4,000 tC
| $4,000. At present 1t has one narrow gauge
engine named the 5. ID. Carleton in honor o.
| one Of the promoters of the road and one oi
| RockpOrt's leading and most enterPrlslni
| business men. The Carleton has ample ca
| pacity to run 20 kilns. Eight contractor
| dump cars and two large and two small plat
| form cars complete the list OF rollins stock, I
| covered car for the use OF the employees be
| ing now in process Of construction. The
| company win have 20 dumps in all, and NOR
| at once The dumps swing on pivot anl
| tip easily. Those now in use We're manu-
| factured by Knowlton Bros. Of Camden, al
| ingenious contrivance for steadying the bod,
| being the work of the Messrs. KnOwltons
| Each car will carry two and one-half yard
/ or about five IONS.
The road is completed within $50 feet 0
| the terminus at the R0ekport end. IL wi
| supply six or eight kins. 1t has been cost
| ing the firms interested in the road eleve
cents cask for carting the rock from QUAR-
to kiln. With the railroad it Is thought thi
| can be greatly reduced.